'That’s where the love story began' - love burns eternal for Mayo woman

It was love at first sight for Werner Apfel.

A chance meeting with Kilmeena woman Brigid Moran would lead to fifty five years of wedded bliss.

Both immigrants to the United States, they lived the American dream and raised four children together.

The daughter of Thomas and Margaret Moran, Brigid emigrated to New York in the 1950s.

She lived in Long Island and worked as a phone operator on 32nd Street.

Werner arrived in America with no English and fifty dollars in his pocket. He joined the army to improve his language skills and is a veteran of the Korean War.

It was a beautiful July day when he decided to visit his friend Charlie, a Donegal man, in Long Island.

It was on St John’s Beach that sunny day that Charlie would introduce Werner and Brigid.

“That’s where the love story, the romance began.”

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Werner remembers asking Brigid to sit in the front with him on the drive home.

Love blossomed from there before Werner travelled back to visit family in Germany.

He told Brigid, “when you come to Ireland, you call me and I'm going to take the next plane over to Ireland.”

She called and he flew and on September 17, 1959 they married in her homeplace of Kilmeena.

Their wedding had a German twist though as the couple were married at the altar, which was unusual at the time.

“We had a nice house wedding in Kilmeena. They say this couldn't be done, but I'm German. There's nothing impossible. What couldn't be done? So I say, ‘I'm going to do it.’

He made it happen and neighbours helped with cooking the turkey and ham for the celebration.

Their honeymoon started in Germany and lasted nine months. They took in Austria, Switzerland and the French Riviera before moving back to live in New York.

The family came back to Roscahill as often as they could afford to.

Brigid and Werner's son Michael W Apfel and his wife, Therese, alongside their daughter Mikaela outside the house in Kilmeena

Kilmeena always drew Brigid back and she took great pleasure in working on her house there with her children and grandchildren.

“I had a lot of blessings in my life”, Werner says and he has returned to Roscahill, Kilmeena almost every year since her death.

He commissioned Michael Cox to build the crucifix in her honour as seen in the photo below. 

Now 93, he travelled solo from New York to be back in Kilmeena for their wedding anniversary.

Reflecting on 55 years of marriage, his advice for a happy marriage is to give and take.

“If you want to be bull headed, don't get married.”

“I don't believe that marriages are based on 50:50. Every day we face difficult obstacles so our mood and our temper change. So sometimes, you know, the woman has more rights, and the next day, maybe I have more rights, and you have to give marriage. Your life is sacrifice. So if you don't want to sacrifice and give in, then don't ever bother getting married.”

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